Convertible furniture



Jan. 4, 1949. B. FlNER CONVERTIBLE FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July2, 1946 INVENTOR BERNARD FINER BY ATTORNEY Jan. 4, 1949. B. FINERCONVERTIBLE FURNITURE 2 Sheets-SheefZ Filed July 2, 1946 INVENTORBERNARD FINE-IR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 4, 1949 ummy-Ea PATENT OFFICE.

. i .=2,45s,3es ooNvnn'rrBLE FURNITURE Bernardl iner, New .York, :N. :Y.

- l'ipfiliczition-July2, 1946, SerialNo. "6811018 (crass-.46)

The invention relates toeza'spiecesof :furnitnre Whiolr is convertibleeither into anazarmchairzor into azbed.

Various 'su gestions have zbeen rmade atoi :solve this problem, but theI cunstmictions designed :for this purposeare complicated and costly.

It is a primary object of the invention to effect theconversion-otamwarm zohair into a bed and vice wersa iby theiexercisetof .the .simple expeclient of swinging thesiderestafif-theiurniture into the upright orinto the. horizontalposition.

It is another "object of the invention to cause the siderests of thefurnitureito drop by gravity automatically into the horizontal zbedformingposition.

-It is also .an object-of the-inventionftorlimit the automatic drop oftheesidearests intoth'exbed forming position byflthe s'hapezdfthe siderests.

Further objects "and advantages of the invention will becomeappareritras'athis specification proceeds.

. The :invention is by. wayaofriexample illustrated in the attacheddrawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation and a part section on linell of Fig. 2 showing the furniture frame embodied in this invention foruse as an armchair,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the frame shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the frame structure shown in Fig. 1 uponconversion of the arm chair into a bed,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism foif the side rests,and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

The frame of the convertible furniture shown in the drawings is composedof two vertical rear posts 3 and two preferably shorter vertical frontposts 4; these posts forming the corners of a quadrangular structure arein the usual manner connected by several horizontal transverse braces I,2; the posts and braces I, 2, 3, 4 form the main or center part of thefurniture frame.

This frame carries two side or arm rests 5 which are hingedly connectedwith the same at 6; the side rests have at the upper end outflaringportions 21.

The frame is covered by upholstering in the usual manner to form thefinished article.

If the side rests 5 are in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, thefurniture serves as an arm chair; when the side rests 5 are swung downin the direction of arrows 1 the furniture serves as a bed, the upperreclining plane of which will 2 then be composed of- 'theupholsteredseat of-the armchair and the *up'holstered upper "faces ofthe swung-downside rests 5, as for instance shown in my prior patentapplication ser. No. 656,429.

This 1 invention is specifically concerned 1 with the provision of:means- 'to lock the side rests 5 automatically -in' their upright or'armchair forming position and to *unleck or release both side restssimultaneously :by the use o'f "one common expedient, whereupon they--will drop "by .sgravity automatically" into ithe h'orizontal or bedforming position.

in 1order'to lockzthes sidezrests :5 in 'the'upright position, shown .in:Fig. .1, zhooks 18 :are provided whichzarefastenedxtdthe.siiieaestsfi.;t.these hooks are adapted to :engagezthelo'cking :rods or :,plates 9 which :are elocatedzfor .verticaldisplacement in the :recesses: ill) ofxpnsts'ifi the s'recesses :endin'gshort of the upper end of the posts. .The plate 9=earriesfatitsllowemend a small :disccl l,;.-.a :short rod 42 is.connectedawithlthisdisciand .a' wire orchain his attached :toithelowerrtend of :rod l2 by means of a hook or any other appropriate means.

A bracket l5, see Figs. 1 and 4 is fastened to the recessed posts 3 insuch a manner as to guide the disc ll during the vertical displacementof the rod or plate 9. An aperture I4 is provided in the horizontal baseportion 28 of bracket IS in such a manner that the rod I2 may passthrough this aperture; a spring l6 surrounds the rod [2 and abuts withits upper end against disc H and with its lower end against the baseportion 28 of the bracket 15.

If the locking plate or rod 9 is downwardly pulled, as later explained,it slides along the vertical portion of bracket IS the spring 16 beingat the same time compressed between disc H and the base portion 28 ofthe bracket.

The upper end portion of plate or rod 9 is inwardly bent to facilitatethe gliding of hook 8 along the upper end of the rod when the side rests5 are turned upwards for conversion of the furniture into an armchair;by the arrival of hooks 8 in the locking position spring [6 iscompressed.

A wire l3 running over a pulley l1, carried by a bracket I8, is attachedto the lower end of the rod l2. The wire l3 runs from this pulleythrough a bore IS in block 20 attached to a lower brace of the frame;the end of the wire I3 is attached to the one arm of a double arm lever2|. This lever 2| is mounted on a shaft 22 journalled in the lowerbraces of the frame.

An analogous mechanism as above described is provided for the othervertical rear post 3 with In order to convert the armchairintoa'bed, thepedal 24 is pressed down, turning thereby shaft 22 in counterclockwisedirection. The lever 2| being turned in the same direction against theaction of spring 25 exerts simultaneously a downpull on both wires I3;the plate or rod 9 is pulled vertical front posts, braces connecting thesaid posts, two side rests having outfiaring portions at the upper endhingedly connected with a pair of said posts consisting of one frontandone rear post, said side rests being adapted to be swung from theupright position adjacent to said posts into a horizontal position andto be supported in this position by said outfiaring portions and furtheradapted to be reswung into the upright position," jvertical recessesin'said 'rejar posts; means in said recesses to automatically locksaidside rests in the upright position adjacent tosaid vertical downwardsagainst the actionof-spring'lii which at the same time is compressedbetween disc H' and bracket the locking action produced by thecooperation of rod ,9 and hook 8 is thereby released. The hooks 8-beingbrought out of engagement with the rods or platesg9 allow the arm rests5 to swing down by gravity whereby the arm chair isconverted into atbed.

In order to reconvert the bed into an arm chair the side. rests 5 areturned upwardsuntil the hooks 8 strike the rods or plates 9.

In continuing this movement the ends of the hooks 8 slide along theinclined part of rods 9, pressing the same down against the action ofspring I6 until rods 9 enter into locking engagement with hooks 8 underthe action of the expanding spring I6; the armrest 5 is now again lockedin the 'upright'positionshown in Figs. 1 andx5.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the details ofconstruction of the invention without departing from the broader'spiritand scope thereof, as set forth in the following claim.

Iclaim: 4, m

A piece 'of furniture adapted to be converted into an armchair orinto abed, comprising a main frame composed of two. vertical rear and twoposts, said means including hooks connected to said side rests,vertically displaceable locking rods to engage said hooks, two pullingwires fastened to said rods, two springs surrounding said rods andfastenedtosaid posts to be compressed by the downward displacement ofsaid rods, a shaft journalled in said frame, a double arm lever carriedby said shaft, the ends of said lever being connected with said twopulling wires,-and a foot pedal to rotate said shaft and tothereby pullsaid rods out of engagement with said hooksiandi to release said siderests for a down-swing exercised by the'weight of said outfiaringportions.-

. t I -,BERNARD FINER. REFERENCES CITED 7 The following referencesare ofrecord in the fileof this patent: I UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Nov.18, 1926

